Submersible pump



Nov. l5, 1966 H. J. FELTUS SUBMERSIBLE PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Deo. lO, 1964 v "i INVENTOR.

HENYJAMS FlTl/S H. J. FELTUS Nov. 15, 1966 SUBMERS IBLE PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed DeC. l0, 1964 I N VENT OR. HENRYL/ANES FEL TUS United States Patent O 3,285,185 SUBMERSIBLE PUMP Henry James Feltus, Seneca Falls, N.Y., assignor to Goulds Pumps Incorporated, Seneca Falls, N.Y. Filed Dec. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 417,269 6 Claims. (Cl. 10S-37) This invention relates to modular pump assemblies and pertains, more particularly, to assemblies employing pump constructions according to Patent No. 3,115,840, issued December 31, 1963.

In deep well pump assemblies, whenever the head required to be obtained is substantial, considerable power input and a correspondingly great number of pump stages are necessary. To this end, deep well pump assemblies are often tailor made, employing integral pump and motor units which, due to restriction in diameter, often attain great lengths. Moreover, such integral units are characterized by the requirement for rather accurate alignment of the component parts, particularly of the pump stage components, which obviates the possibility for performing repair or component replacement of these units in the field. Rather, assemblies of this type normally require shipment to the factory for adjustment, repair or the like. To overcome this disadvantage, the aforementioned Patent No. 3,115,840 utilizes modular pump units, each of which is so constructed and arranged as to its component parts that servicing, replacement and repair in the field can be easily performed. However, it has been found that these modular units are limited as to the number thereof which can be arranged in stacked or end-toend relation inasmuch as the type of pump construction employed display, under such circumstances, a tendency toward axial displacement between component parts thereof resulting in interference therebetween such as materially lessens the service life of the pump units. Accordingly, it is of primary concern in connection with this invention to provide a deep well pump assemblage composed of modular units disposed in end-to-end relationship in which the pump construction is of the stacked impeller type and wherein the assemblage includes at least one auxiliary support unit for controlling axial shifting between the impellers and their associated bowls.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved deep well pump assembly employing a modular connector and auxiliary support unit which effects a liquid transfer passage therethrough and which is effective to interrupt and assume a portion of the impeller and drive shaft load and thereby avoid interference between component parts.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved form of deep well pump assembly which employs a casing or body supporting a series of pump bowl and diffuser units and with there being an axial drive shaft supporting stacked impellers cooperative with individual ones of the diffuser-bowl units and auxiliary support means is employed to act both as a connector between adjacent modules or units and for supporting some of the impellers so as to maintain proper orientation between the impellers and the diffuser-bowl units. In this manner, it is possible not only to retain a construction capable of ready accessibility and servicing but also to employ as many pump modules as are necessary to meet the pumping requirements while avoiding interference between pump component parts due to axial shifting of the impellers relative to the diffusers and bowls.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the description hereinbelow and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section taken through a well bore or casing illustrating a modular assemblage according to the present invention;

ice

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section, enlarged and vpartly broken away illustrating the pump units and thrust bearing assemblies of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged vertical section taken through the thrust bearing assembly and the adjacent pump modules which such assembly serves to interconnect;

FIG. 4 is a transverse section taken substantially along the plane of section line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section taken in the region indicated in FIG. 2 and showing details of the pump units;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are sectional views taken along section lines 6--6 and 7-7 respectively in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section, all showing details of the auxiliary support mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1, the assembly as shown therein is located within the well bore 10 and, as illustrated, there are a plurality of motor units 12, 14, 16 and 18 disposed in stacked relationship at the lower end of the assemblage, which motor units are interconnected for driving a common output drive shaft, hereinafter more particularly described, which is connected to and drives a series of pump modules 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30, in the particular instance shown. These pump modules are all of a particular construction as will hereinafter be more clearly set forth and interposed in the stack of end-to-end related pump modules is an auxiliary support unit indicated by the reference character 32, the purpose of which will also be more clearly apparent as the description proceeds. The lowermost pump module 20 is provided with an intake opening which may be screened as indicated by the reference character 34 and the uppermost module 30 is provided with an adapter 36 connecting the assemblage to the pipe 38 extending to the surface or well head and through which the fluid being pumped is transmitted to the surface. As will be well understood by those skilled in the art, the various motor units 12, 14, 16 and 18 are electrically driven and power is applied thereto through 4suitable conductors extending downwardly through the well bore from a source at the surface.

The various pump units or modules are constructed in accordance with the principles set forth in Patent No. 3,115,840 and are characterized by the fact that they may be easily serviced in the field. As is shown more clearly in FIG. 2, the output drive shaft 40 which is powered by the various motor units is connected through a suitable connector sleeve 42 to a drive shaft member 44 associated with the lowermost pump unit 20. The drive shafts 44 of the various pump modules are of noncircular cross section, preferably hexagonal, it being appreciated that the connector sleeve 42 is preferably internally splined at its lower end to engage with a correspondingly splined portion of the output drive lshaft 40 and is of hexagonal internal cross section at its upper end to engage with and drivingly fit with the end of the drive shaft 44 of the lowermost pump module. The motor output drive shaft 40, in the particular instance shown, directly supports the drive shaft 44 of the lowermost pump module through the intermediary of a thrust button 46 interposed ibetween these two shaft entities; and a spacer sleeve 48 of circular external configuration and hexagonal internal configuration bears upon the thrust button 46 and serves as a member for supporting certain of the impeller assemblages hereinafter described and transmitting their load to the motor shaft 40. A suitable bearing sleeve 50 is carried Iby the hub portion 52 of the lower connector device 54.

The connector device 54 is screwthreaded within the lower end of a casing member 56 which forms the outer housing for the lowermost of the pump modules 20. The

y upper end of the casing 56 carries an upper connector 57 (FIG. 1) in screwthreaded engagement therewith, similar to the upper connector 58 shown in FIG. 2 for the pump module 24 and, as is explained in the aforementioned patent, the upper surface 60 of the upper connector of each of the modules serves as a gauging surface with which the upper end of each of the drive shafts for each of the modules is adapted to be ush. Each of the modules also incorporates a plurality of bearing spiders 62 intermediate its ends, each of such spiders being located remote from the upper and lower connectors to accommodate for slight misalignments between the drive shafts 44 of adjacent end-to-end connected units. Each of these bearing spiders includes a bearing hub 64 cooperable with a bearing sleeve 66 of internal hexagonal configuration embracing the corresponding drive shaft 44 and lending radial support to such drive shaft as will be readily appreciated.

The impellers of each of the modules are stacked upon each other and derive axial support and positioning from either the motor shaft 40 or an auxiliary support unit 32. It is -by this means that the pump modules are simplied to the extent that servicing, repair of replacement may be effected in the eld. To illustrate this more clearly, attention is directed to FIG. 5. In this figure, the hubs of three impellers are designated by the reference characters 68, 70 and 72 and their respective associated pump bowls by the reference characters 74, 76 and 78. Each ibowl is provided with an upper gauge surface 80 for 4assembly purposes. During assembly, the bowls are stacked one at a time, each with the lower half 82 of its diffuser in place. The corresponding impeller is then placed in position and the height of the impeller -hub relative to the gauge surface 80 is determined as -by the use of a straight edge and feeler gauge. A shim 84 of suitable thickness is then (if needed) placed on the impeller hub to come up to the level of the gauge surface 80. The upper portion 86 of the diffuser is then placed in position and the process is repeated until the pump module assembly is completed. When the assembly is completed, the casing 56 is placed in position and the upper connector 58 joined thereto to sandwich all of the -bowl units between the upper and lower connectors 58 and 54. The drive shaft 44 is then built up to the level of the top gauge surface of the upper connector by a suitable thrust button shim 88 preparatory to assembly of the next module thereon.

Referring -again to FIG. 5, lit will be seen that the bottom wall 90 of each pump bowl is provided with an opening 92 which is larger than and surrounds the lower end of the impeller hub of the next above pump stage and that such next impeller has an annular inlet eye 94 aligned with and effectively forming a continuation of such opening 92. However, the parts are so positioned as to provide a small clearance space 96 between the lower face of the impeller and the underlying surface of the lbottom wall 90. This clearance space is necessary in order to prevent frictional -contact between the rotating impeller and the stationary pump bowl and, at the same time, it is necessary that this spacing be minimized to allow for good pumping efiiciency.

Bearing the above in mind, it can be seen that although the proper clearance space `may be established in each stage of a plurality of modules, interference between impe'llers and bowls of upper modules is possible when the assembly is placed in service due to elongation of the casings 6 caused by pressure head developed by the pump assembly. That is to say, if the entire string of shafts44 andimpellers are supported (at the motor 12) from the bottom of a long string of pump modules, elongation in the casings of these pump modules, due to internal pressure, may obtain a magnitude so as to permit the impellers in upper modules to shift axially downwardly relative to their associated pump bowls sufficiently to nullify the initial clearance spaces 96.

In order to prevent this and thereby allow a long string y of modules to be used as may be required to develop substantial head, the auxiliary support assembly 32 is interposed in the string of pump modules intermediate the ends of such string. The auxiliary support device provides a fluid passageway interconnecting the two pump modules which it joins and, at the same time, the device provides a continuation of the drive shaft assembly while establishing a support point for pump module drive shafts and impellers thereabove. In this way, the integrity of the clearance spaces 96 may be sufficiently maintained as lto prevent frictional contact between the impellers and the pump bowls.

An auxiliary support device 32 is more clearly shown in FIG. 3 wherein it will be seen that such device includes a connector body 100 adapted to be connected and fastened to an upper connector 58 of the next adjacent lower pump module and which body is provided with a cavity 102 and passageways 104 (see also FIG. 4) to allow the fluid to pass upwardly in the fashion indicated by the arrows 106 and 108. It will be noted that the passageways 104 discharge laterally so that the fluid flows peripherally around the upper portion of the assemblage 32 and is confined between the outer casing portion 110 and the inner casing portion 112. The outer casing 110 is :screwthreaded as shown to the body 100 and projects upwardly therefrom to terminate in an upper connector body portion 114 to which the lower connector 54 of the next adjacent upper pump modules is secured. The upper portion of the body 100 is formed as a pedestal 116 to which the lower end of the casing 112 is aixed as shown and this pedestal portion carries a concave cup 118 which in turn receives a.convex member 120 carried by the support member 122. The support member 122 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced notches or bores 124 which receive pin elements 126 carried by and rigid with the pedestal 116, it being noted that the notches or bores 124 are enlarged with respect to the pins 126 to permit some degree of relative tipping motion between the support 122 and the pedestal 116 without allowing unrestricted relative rotation therebetween about the axis of the drive shaft assemblage. The support is provided with an upwardly facing groove or pocket 128 within which are fitted a plurality of rocker arms 130, each rocker arm resting substantially centrally thereof on a raised fulcrum pad 129. Each rocker arm 130 is fixed against rotation by means of a pin 131 car ried by the support member 122, it being appreciated that the openings in the rocker .arms which receive these pins are somewhat enlarged to permit tipping of the arms on their fulcrums 129. Supported on and bridging between adjacent ends of these rocker arms are a plurality ofv shoe elements 132 which, in-turn, are disposed in opposed relationship to a bearing ring 134. The shoes 132 are each likewise xed against rotation as by a pairof pins 133 carried by the support 122, the connection being such as to permit the shoes to ltilt in the well known fashion to provide a lubricant Wedge between the shoes Vand the ring 134. The bearing ring 134 is provided with recesses 136 receiving the lower ends of pins 138 carried by the hub 140 so that the bearing ring 134 rotates with the hub 140. The hub is provided with a tapered central opening which receives the tapered portion 142 of the support shaft 144 and, as can be seen, the upper end of the casing 112 is closed by a cover member 146 and an associated seal 148 surrounding the shaft 144 so that there is provided an` internal cavity 150 which is isolated from the fluid being pumped. The cavity 1,50 receivesand is filled with oil and to accommodate for variations in pressure, a compensating membrane 152 is`utiliz'ed, the same being formed of flexible material to accommodate forA volumetric variati-ons, as will be obviousf The cover 146 is detachably xed toa plate member 154 as by aplurality of fasteners 156, the fasteners .156, also serving to* sandwich a sealing disc 158 between the cover 14,6.'andthe plate 154. As shown, it is preferred that the membrane 152 be formed integrally with the sealing disc 158.

It will be appreciated that the auxiliary support device operates essentially upon the Kingsbury thrust bearing principle. To this end, the several shoes 132 are each supported at only one point at one end of a respective rocker arm as on one of the buttons 159 thereof, so that these shoes may tilt to form and maintain the oil lm between the shoes and the bearing disc 134 in the well known manner. The cup 118 and member 120 serve to enhance alignment of the parts to accommodate for this tilting action.

The lower end of the shaft 144 is connected as by a coupling sleeve 160 to the upper endof the. next lower adjacent drive shaft 44, it being appreciated that the two shafts 144 and 44 are spaced apart, as indicated by the reference character 162 so that only the driving torque is transmitted from the lower shaft 44 to the shaft 144 and no support is lent to the shaft 144 by the lower shaft 44. The upper shaft 144, however, is shimmed to bring it level with the upper gauge surface of the body portion 114 as by a th-rust button 164. Preferably, however, the shim 164 is lomitted and the body 114 is, instead, threaded on the body 100 to bring it flush with the upper end of the shaft 144. In any case, the next adjacent upper drive shaft 44 thereby bears upon and is supported by the shaft 144. A suitable connector sleeve 166 is provided to establish drive torque from the shaft 144 to the upper shaft 44 shown in FIG. 3.

Obviously, the number of auxiliary support devices 32 which are utilized depends upon two factors, first, the length of the pump module string, and, secondly, upon the internal pressure developed by the pump assemblage. Therefore, as many or as few auxiliary connectors as may be needed are utilized in any given installation, the auxiliary support device 32 serving to interrupt the impeller support arrangement while still continuing the common driving torque arrangements to all of the irnpeller assemblages.

It is to be understood that certain changes and modifications as illustrated and described may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a deep Well pump assembly, in combination,

a string of pump modules adapted to be suspended from a conduit leading to a well head,

an auxiliary support device interposed in said string of pump modules,

drive means connected to the lower end of said string and including means for assuming axial loads from the irnpellers of only said pump modules lying between said drive means and said auxiliary support device,

and said auxiliary support device including means connected to said conduit for assuming the axial load of at least some of said pump irnpellers lying above said auxiliary support device.

2. In a deep well pump assembly, in combination,

a string of pump modules adapted to be suspended from a conduit leading to a well head, each of said pump modules including a plurality of pump bowls, and casing means for supporting said bowls, and an impeller for each of said bowls but free from contact therewith7 and auxiliary support means interposed in said string for supporting pump irnpellers thereabove, said auxiliary support means including a casing connected at its opposite ends to the pump modules immediately above and below, thrust bearing means carried by said casing, a drive shaft extending between the opposite ends of said casing and supported against axial downward displacement by said thrust bearing means, `said casing defining a uid passageway between the ends thereof.

3. In a deep well pump assembly, in combination,

a string of pump modules adapted to be suspended from a conduit leading to a well head, each of said pump modules including a plurality of pump bowls, and casing means for supporting said bowls, and an impeller for each of said bowls but free from contact therewith,

drive means connected to the lower end of said string and including means for supporting the pump impellers immediately thereabove to maintain such impellers free from contact with their associated bowls,

and auxiliary support means interposed in said string for supporting pump irnpellers thereabove, said auxiliary support means including a casing connected at its opposite ends to the pump modules immediately above and below it, a body portion within said casing, supported thereby and defining a chamber, thrust bearing means disposed within said chamber, a drive shaft extending between the opposite ends of said casing and supported by said thrust bearing means, and said body portion and said casing defining a fluid passageway between the opposite ends of said casing which is isolated from said chamber.

4. In a deep well pump assembly, in combination,

a string of pump modules adapted to be suspended from a conduit leading to a well head, each of said modules including a stack of pump bowls and an impeller for each of said bowls,

means for rotating all of said impellers, said means including a motor connected to the lower end of said string, a drive shaft for each module, and auxiliary support means interposed in said string of pump modules for supporting the drive shafts and pump irnpellers thereabove, said auxiliary support means including a casing connected at its opposite ends to the pump modules immediately a'bove and below it, a body portion within said casing, supported thereby and defining a chamber, thrust bearing means disposed within said chamber, a drive shaft extending between the opposite ends of said casing and supported by said thrust bearing means, and said body portion and said casing defining a fluid passageway between the opposite ends of said casing which is isolated from said chamber.

5. In a deep well pump assembly, in combination,

conduit means extending downwardly from a well head and adapted to conduct fluid being pumped thereto,

a pump-motor assembly suspended from the lower end of said conduit means for delivering uid thereto, said assembly including a series of pump modules, each of which includes a casing, a series of pump bowls stacked within said casing, end connectors on said casing sandwiching said bowls therebetween, a drive shaft extending axially through said casing, and a series of irnpellers rotatable with said shaft but axially shiftable thereon, said assembly also including a motor having a drive shaft, certain of said pump drive shafts and their associated irnpellers, being supported on said motor drive shaft,

and an auxiliary support device disposed within said series of pump modules for supporting the pump drive shafts and associated impellers disposed thereabove, said auxiliary support means includingI a casing connected at its opposite ends to the pump modules immediately above and below it, a body portion within said casing, supported thereby and defining a chamber, thrust bearing means disposed within said chamber, a drive shaft extending between the opposite ends of said casing and supported by said thrust bearing means, and said body portion and said casing defining a fluid passageway between the opposite ends of said casing which is isolated from said chamber.

6. In a deep well pump assembly, in combination,

conduit means extending downwardly from a well head and adapted to conduct lluid being pumped thereto,

a pump-motor assembly suspended from the lower end of said conduit means for delivering fluid thereto, said assembly including a string of pump modules, each of which includes a casing, a series of pump bowls stacked within and supported by said casing, and an impeller disposed within each of said bowls, said assembly also including drive means for simultaneously rotating said impellers and supporting them free from contact with their associated bowls, said drive means including an auxiliary support device disposed within said string of pump modules for supporting impellers disposed thereabove, said auxiliary support means including a casing connected at its opposite ends to the pump modules `immediately above and below it, a body portion within said casing, supported thereby and defining a chamber, thrust bearing means disposed within said chamber, a drive shaft extending between the opposite ends of said casing and supported by said thrust bearing means, and said body portion and said casing deining a uid passageway between the opposite ends of said casing which is isolated from said chamber.

10 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,816,509 12/1957 Rice 10s-87 X l5 3,115,840 12/1963 Feltus` 103-87 `ROBERT M. WALKER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A DEEP WELL PUMP ASSEMBLY, IN COMBINATION, A STRING OF PUMP MODULES ADAPTED TO BE SUSPENDED FROM A CONDUIT LEADING TO A WELL HEAD, AN AUXILIARY SUPPORT DEVICE INTERPOSED IN SAID STRING OF PUMP MODULES, DRIVE MEANS CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID STRIN AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR ASSUMING AXIAL LOADS FROM THE IMPELLERS OF ONLY SAID PUMP MODULES LYING BETWEEN SAID DRIVE MEANS AND SAID AUXILIARY SUPPORT DEVICE, AND SAID AUXILIARY SUPPORT DEVICE INCLUDING MEANS CON-ONNEXTED TO SAID CONDUIT FOR ASSUMING THE AXIAL LOAD OF AT LEAST SOME OF SAID PUMP IMPELLERS LYING ABOVE SAID AUXILIARY SUPPORT DEVICE. 